Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

I finally had a chance to really ring out my Avistar. I got to fly twice this week and had some really great weather. I was a little worried that I over-powered this plane but realize that I got good advice here to get the OS46fx. I still think it is nose heavy and tried to measure the CG with my fingers at about 2 1/2" but it really doesn't seem to bother it. I went on Monday and saw another flier with the Avistar with the OS40la and he was wishing he had the 46 like me. His takoff's were slower and longer. My plane, I just hit it to full and it goes[>:] I only use full throttle for take-off's and fly at 1/3 to 2/3. I also got to see three other planes crash that day and I didn't fly too much because we took alot of my time looking for one of the planes[&o].
I got to fly again on Thursday and flew till my reciever battery was getting low. I had about 12 flights, half of which I was praticing my landings. I only hit the prop and stalled the engine once by turning it too sharp with too much speed. I must of had at least 30 landings, some bouncy but not too bad. I really like this plane and decided not to move the equipment out into a new plane. If I buy a new plane I'll have to save for it's own engine & flightpack. I got to see a 4star40 fly on Thursday and think I'll get a kit and build it when it gets too cold to fly.

Chris

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

Chris,

Your statement that you flew until your receiver was getting low, about 12 flights, really concerns me. Most radios come with the standard 600 mAh battery pack. As a general rule, 4 or 5 flights at 10 to 15 minutes each will put that receiver pack out of business until it's been recharged. A dead receiver pack will ALWAYS equal a dead airplane.

I teach my students that if they cannot check the voltage of their battery pack with an expanded scale voltmeter, that they should quit flying after a maximum of (4) 10 minute flights. None have ever lost their plane from a dead battery using this limit.

I am only saying this as a suggestion since you have posted in the beginners column. I would much rather see you keep your plane for a very long time than to see you lose it early to a dead battery.

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

I couldn't agree more with Silversurfer. Unless your 12 flights were only a minute or two each or you have a huge receiver pack, you should recharge after (4) ten minute flights.
Not only can you lose the airplane, but you could put yourself and others in serious danger should you lose control due to a dead battery.

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

the next plane I'm getting is a 4 star 40 I herd their a blast to build and fly

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

Silversurfer, can u please let me know what other battery packs can give longer flight time, and how much longer they can be flown? A friend of mine who introduced me to flying generally flies until he is .5 volts above his tx low voltage limit to avoid a dead rx battery. This hasn't failed him "yet."

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

No offense but your friend is headed for disaster. The transmitter voltage condition has absolutely nothing to do with the receiver voltage and should not be used as a way of guessing how much flight time your Rx pack has left in it. Get yourself a good field charger and a quality Expanded Scale Voltmeter for checking the Rx battery voltage. With a good field charger you can recharge in about 15 minutes. You can go to a 1200 mAh pack to extend the flight time but you should still invest in the mentioned items.

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

Thanks for the tip. I was checking my receiver battery with a tester that has about 10 LED's(green yellow red). One of the guys in the club was helping me out. I was taking short flights about 5 minutes, I was worried about running out of fuel. I don't know how long the the fuel will last with this engine.
I charge my batteries with a Supernova 250s charger and they usually charge over 700mAh if I don't push them too hard. I guess I got lucky with these batteries that can hold a little more. I also picked up some AA nimh to make a flat pack to fit under the control rods in the tail to balance it better. The battery pack I have now is square and doesn't fit.

Chris

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

Stick Jammer, thanks for the info!

Rivet... my avistar with a .46 fx at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle goes up to 25-30 min, and about 10-15 min full power.

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

I don't want to argue with people far more experienced than I, but I too have an Avistar, bought it RTF with the Futaba Skysport 4 radio and Rx combo.

I can easily fly 8-10 8 minute flights. Maybe I've just gotten lucky... but I know without a doubt that I can fly more than the stated 30-40 minutes you guys are quoting on a full charge.

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

This may very well be the case, for now. Flight time from a given battery pack hinges on a lot of variables, outside temperature, total battery usage time, percentage of full charge, amount and type of servos, and flying style just to mention a few. If you are just flying in circles for the most part and the Rx pack is fairly new and in optimum condition you might get 80 minutes from that pack, but as you start to gain confidence and begin doing a lot of loops, rolls, and inverted flight, it will cut down the actual flight time of the battery due to the higher current drain. It's best to use a good quality Expanded Scale Voltmeter (puts a load on the pack to simulate actual flying conditions) after every flight to be sure if it's safe to fly again before a recharge. If you are using a 4.8 volt pack you should recharge when it tests below 5 volts. Some will disagree with this and say it's OK to fly it right down to 4.8 volts. Personally, I don't feel it worth pushing them that far, but that's just my opinion.

RE: Avistar w/OS .46FX
 

A hobbico Avistar and a 46FX is a great combination.